Risotto ai funghi porcini

Method

1. 1 Soak dried porcini mushrooms in warm water for 30 minutes, then strain the soaking water through a cloth.
2. 2 The porcini brine is the main source of flavor in this dish; using plain broth would make the risotto bland.
3. 3 Sauté the shallots in olive oil, then add the rice and fry for 3 minutes until the rice grains are translucent.
4. 4 Pour in the white wine and simmer until reduced, then add the mushroom soaking water and broth one ladleful at a time.
5. 5 Stir continuously and only add more when the previous ladle is empty; this is how the starch will turn into a cream.
6. 6 Turn off the heat, then beat the cold butter and Parmigiano together at room temperature and sprinkle with parsley.

With an appliance

• Microwave 42 min

  Replace steps 4–5: add the roasted rice, wine, and mushroom broth to a large bowl, microwave at 800 W for 16 minutes, adding hot broth and stirring every 4 minutes; reduce cooking time by about 2 minutes, decreasing the stirring frequency to four turns while the grains still release starch to form a creamy consistency, although the consistency will be slightly lighter than the hand-stirred version. Step 6 still whips the cold butter and Parmigiano at room temperature.